


Make it home

by Mythicalmooselet



Category: Rhett & Link, rhink - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Reality, M/M, War Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-05-12 17:26:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5674435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mythicalmooselet/pseuds/Mythicalmooselet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where RandL are drafted to fight in a war overseas</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Narrator's point of view (pov)

"Come on, Rhett!" Link shouted over the roar of the roar of the river. "We're gonna break curfew again!" Rhett swam to the shore and hurried out of the water. They both grabbed thier towels and ran to Link's truck. They had gone swimming in the cape fear river after Rhett was done with track practice, but after breaking curfew last week, they both had to be home by 8. Link drove a little over the speed limit, but the police in thier small North Carolina town didn't care, especially on the main roads where there weren't any pedestrians to accidentally injure. Soon, Link pulled up and parked in the driveway of his friend's house exactly at 8 PM

"Sorry you couldn't make your curfew." Rhett said before exiting the rickety old pickup truck. He knew his best friend would surely be grounded for another week. Link smiled and nodded.

"Sure I will." He rebutted. "I set all the clocks in my house back 5 minutes just in case. So far no one's caught on." Rhett laughed at his friend's genius and ran inside. Hopefully his parents wouldn't be too harsh on him since he was only one minute late... They were reasonable people after all. He tried to open the door quietly, maybe they wouldn't even notice him coming home late. Rhett opened the door and the first thing he saw was his mother reading a magazine at the kitchen table. 

"You've got a letter." She said simply, not looking up at him. "Looks official too." Her facial expression was completely neutral, and she deferred her attention long enough to look up at her son. She closed her magazine silently, stood, and pushed in the chair she had previously occupied. Her short brown hair was in curlers and she was dressed in a pink nightgown that came just past her knees. She walked over to him and handed him a letter with his name printed in plain black font. The date was the only other thing on the outside of the envelope. May 7, 1996. "And don't think I didn't notice Link pull in exactly at 8. Barely. She frowned at her son and walked out of the kitchen. 

Rhett opened the letter and as he read the words, his eyes widened with shock. Hastily, he pulled out a chair from the pristine dining table and slumped down. The words on the page ran through his mind like a nightmare. "You are hereby ordered for induction into the Armed Forces of the United States." He had been drafted. 

 

Rhett stumbled to the bathroom, shaken by the orders he had received. He knew plenty people going to The Middle East, some by choice, but most, like him, had been drafted. The letter said to report in mid-June, barely two weeks after his senior year of high school ended. He reached a shaking hand toward the faucet and turned on the water for a shower. As he waited for the water to heat up, he looked at himself in the mirror and tried to imagine himself in an army uniform. His tall lanky features wouldn't support the hunter green very well, although his mother always did say wearing green brought out his eyes. He ran a hand over his short buzz cut, glad that he didn't have to change at least one thing about his life, his hair. Soon the water was warm and he took a long shower and climbed into bed. Boy, would Link ever be surprised when he told him about this!

The next morning at school, the boys filed in quietly to their classroom, both of them not only on time, but early. Rhett could barely keep his composure. He hadn't been without Link for almost as long as he could remember. They had become friends on the first day of first grade when they were both writing profanity and seeking friendship. Almost inseparable since, Rhett couldn't imagine a life of which Link wasn't a part. 

"Link! I have to tell you what happened last night!" He boomed, then lowered his voice when he noticed people turn to look at him. 

"No, I have to tell you what I got last night first! I can guarantee mine's more important." Rhett hardly believed that but he signaled with his hand for his friend to keep going, he would tell him afterward. "So I got home, and there was a draft letter for me in the mailbox! I have to go report in July. Can you believe it? Can you see me, a soldier?" Rhett nodded as he explained what had happened to him, the same thing. 

"Except, I have to report in June." He finished.

"Wow." Link exclaimed. "This is really heavy." 

The last month of school passed slowly for Rhett and Link both, yet the thought of what laid ahead scared them. Before either of them knew it, or was ready for it, graduation was upon them. Once they were out of high school, who could possibly know where the future was headed? Rhett was first to receive his orders. He was to be trained for six weeks at boot camp, then headed to Afghanistan immediately following. Link was sent his orders soon after. The boot camp part of the process was the same, but Link would be training upstate. After he had finished his training, he would report to Iraq.

Much too soon, the day arrived for Rhett to make his depart. The people closest to him had driven him to the Assembly room, where he was to report. The dark green uniform was baggy on his tall frame, and it felt foreign to be wearing. As he was getting dressed in his home that morning, a realization struck him like a 2x4 to the face. He may never come home again. When he said goodbye to this house, his room, he very possibly may never see these walls again. He hugged his mother tightly as he tried not to let tears escape their assigned places behind his eyes. His father looked him in the eye and gave him a handshake. Link had come to wish him well and was enveloped into a massive hug. Link and Rhett had the kind of friendship everyone envied. The kind that only comes once in a lifetime, if you're very lucky. 

"Link." Rhett said, trying to act brave and confident. "If I never see you again, just know that I'll never forget this friendship." 

"Oh, don't talk like that. We'll both make it back here alive and well. You fight those terrorists and soon, I'll be over there with you. Ok? Promise me one thing: don't you ever give up, and remember your training." Rhett nodded and turned around. He was going to walk through those doors, and he was going to make it home when this nightmare was over. He hoped with all his being that Link would do the same.


	2. Chapter 2

Rhett's point of view (pov)

"YOU CALL YOURSELF AN ATHLETE, MCLAUGHLIN?! My grandmother could do more push-ups, God rest her soul!" Rhett felt his face get hot under the insults of the drill-Sargent. He had been at basic training for a little more than two weeks, and he considered it like basketball conditioning, but much worse. His muscles were finally beginning to relax and he wasn't quite as sore. Everything hurt, but this was manageable. What he wouldn't do for a quick dip in the cape-fear river right now. Rhett swallowed hard and pushed himself harder. Link will be be miserable if I'm having this hard of a time. He thought. He pictured his best friend, scrawny as he was trying to do all this under the shouts of the Sargent, with no one to protect him. He pushed the thought out of his head. He couldn't focus on that now. 

Finally, the "workout" was over and he could go shower, if you could call it that. The water was never warm enough, and privacy was unheard of, but he had heard stories of men in Afghanistan not having a shower at all, so he considered himself lucky for this stream of lukewarm water. He sat down in the mess hall for another bland supper. The food was filling, he could give it that, but it was nothing like his mom's fried chicken. 

"Hey, Rhett!" Rhett looked up from playing with his rice to see Ron. Ron was pretty short, especially compared to Rhett, but he was nice enough. He had big brown eyes that bugged out of his head, and Rhett thought he slightly resembled a frog. They had gone to high school together, except he was a year older than Rhett. 

"Hey, Ron." He replied  
"How are you doin'?" Ron inquired.  
"Fine, I guess." Rhett said. He looked back down at his bowl of food. Ron nodded and sat down across the table. 

"Hey, chin up, pal." He answered. "I know you're probably a little homesick and miss your family and friends." Rhett's eyes met his. "You and that other kid, what was his name? Lee?"   
"Link" Rhett interrupted. 

"Right. Link." Ron continued "You two were practically joined at the hip for as long as I can remember. I bet you miss him." Rhett looked back down   
"Yeah. I really do."   
"You'll see him again. I heard this war's almost over. Maybe we won't even have to go over there." Ron chuckled at his remark, "Wouldn't that be somethin'?" Rhett grinned at the thought. "There ya go. Hang in there, soldier." They ate the rest of the brief meal in silence. Rhett hoped Link had someone like Ron to be there for him if he couldn't. 

Link's pov

The weeks before he had to report to base camp and after Rhett left were awful for Link. He had recurring nightmares and haunting thoughts during the day. With nothing to do but wait, the weeks seemed to drag. He tried to watch TV, but it seemed that every channel had war movies or tv shows. He did enjoy MASH (mobile army surgical hospital) and He hated being awake, for fear of Finally, his time came to leave his family and serve his country. His father had tried to instill some kind of patriotism in him, to no avail. The war stories he told from his time in the Gulf War were supposed to spur his son on to do heroic things for himself; however, all it really did was fill Link's mind with more than enough horrors and possible scenarios. 

The dark green uniform fit him better than it had his best friend. He smiled at the thought of the lanky Rhett in the baggy fabric. His mom wished him luck as tears filled her eyes when she watched her only son depart. The thought of burning his draft card had entered his mind countless times. Guess it's too late now. He thought. He walked into the official building and took a deep breath. Here we go.

Base camp turned out much like he expected, but he actually was able to stand it much better than he thought he would. Sure, his muscles were sore, but after weeks of having nothing to do, it was a welcome relied to get his mind off everything for a while. The drill sergeants were more concerned with other guys, and he was able to do enough to keep the attention off himself. He actually enjoyed the workouts, and the food wasn't too bad, he decided. It certainly could be worse. Whenever he was tempted to complain, he remembered back to when he and Rhett were kids and they would dare each other to eat various findings. Link had amassed a vast repertoire of things he had eaten, from varied bugs to rotten foods to even his aunt's muffins. He loved his aunt, but her cooking could use some serious help. He was glad only Rhett saw him eat most of the stuff; he retched and made faces he wouldn't want anyone else to see. So far he hadn't made many friends, but that was okay. He never really had another great friend other than Rhett. There were a few guys who Link had known from school who Link sat with during meals. He didn't really take an interest in making friends becuase he figured they'd be split up when shipped overseas anyway. Sometimes he found himself homesick, but it never lasted long and he was soon back to his goofy self.


	3. Chapter 3

Link's pov

The deserts of Iraq were hotter than Link expected, but he never complained. After a long helicopter flight, Link was armed to take supplies to an orphanage

"You ready, soldier?" A man asked. He was a very stout man that had dark brown hair that was too long to be fully "army approved."

"Do I get to go home if I say no?" Link replied. The other soldier laughed.  
"Not quite, but nice try. This might shake you up a bit, but it's okay. We're the good guys." The man handed Link a jug of water that was a lot heavier than it looked. "This goes into that building right there." He pointed to a shack that looked like a small breeze would have no problem blowing it over. Link struggled to carry the water into the poorly lit structure. He set it down on what looked to be a table, hoping it would hold the weight of the water. To his surprise, it did. Once the sloshing had stopped, Link heard a faint rustling sound and whirled around. In the corner, hiding behind some elaborate curtains was a little boy, no older than five at the most. 

"Hey there. It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. Brought you some water." Link put his hand on the top of the container, accidentally making a louder noise than he anticipated. The boy jumped and disappeared behind the curtain, almost too quickly for Link to even see. "Hey. It's just the water, I didn't mean to scare you." 

"They don't understand English." The stout man had appeared in the doorway carrying a large wooden crate. He set it down on the floor and opened it. From the crate, he retrieved a small packaged item that resembled a granola bar. The man said something in a foreign language and the child slowly emerged. He eyed Link as he walked over to the man, grabbed the bar, and hurried out of the room. "This is an orphanage. The kids here are all pretty new. That was Hosni; his parents died in a bombing about two months ago. Loud noises probably aren't the best thing here. Most of the kids here either have no parents or their families were rendered incapable of caring for kids 'cause of the war. We're just here to drop off supplies. C'mon. There's more to unload." He walked out of the ramshackle building towards the truck with Link following behind. This is okay thought Link. Maybe I'm actually doing good here. Yeah. 

Rhett's pov  
His battalion had become his family and he had bonded with them more quickly than he thought was possible. The little band of guys included people from every walk of life. Among these was David, who was studying to become a minister from Washington state, Joe who had been born and raised in Texas and was going to take over his dad's ranch, Art, a carpenter from Missouri, Jeff, a policeman from Ohio, and Thomas, the youngest lawyer in the great state of Vermont. There were others, of course, but Rhett found that these guys especially friendly and welcoming. Sitting outside his tent, Rhett began eating another helping of some nameless meal from a tin can. Two of his comrades sat beside him, eating quietly the same meal Rhett was. 

"So... Anyone hear news from any other war front?" One of them, David, asked. The other two shook their heads and returned to their food, as horrible as it was. As if on cue, a commanding officer none of the men had seen before walked nearby with Rhett's senior officer, talking in hushed tones. All three men strained their ears to hear what they were saying, grateful when they stopped walking nearby, unaware of the men eating, but just within earshot. 

"It's like a madhouse over there. I don't think we're gonna be able to hold our posts much longer." The stranger whispered. "Be glad you're not in Iraq with my guys. I don't know how many will be left by the time I get back." 

"Is it really that bad?" Was the reply from the familiar man.

"Oh Gerald, you have no idea..." And with that, they noticed the men listening to their conversation and quickly walked away. 

Rhett's heart beat faster as he realized the significance of what he had just heard. Link was in Iraq. 

"Oh God, Link." He mumbled, more as a prayer than anything else. 

"Hmm?" Jeff questioned. 

"My friend- my best friend was drafted about the same time as me. He was sent to Iraq." The men looked down at their cans of food, unaware of how to answer him. Finally David spoke up. 

"I know this may be a typical answer for a student of ministry, but whatever God decides to do with your friend is the best thing for everyone in the long run, whether he live or-" he decided not to finish his sentence when he saw Rhett's stare. The rest of their meal was eaten in an awkward silence that no one could fill.

Rhett was jolted awake when another bomb went off somewhere outside his tent. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept through the night. He didn't know how long he had been in the Afghan desert, but it had to have been about two months. He was miserable and all he wanted to do was sleep. 

"Alright! You know the drill! Everybody out!" Someone shouted. Rhett assumed it was his senior officer. He reluctantly stood up and filed out quickly and took cover in some nearby bushes. You can hit us. I don't even care anymore. Rhett thought toward the pilots who flew above his head. He was too tired to care. His days were filled with dodging bullets from guerrilla sharp shooters and moving equipment around when the tents were to be relocated.

The bombs were dropping all around him, and Rhett was more concerned with the fact that he had to pee. A cacophonous noise jolted him out of his half-sleep. An airplane over head had finally hit its target. However, the pilot didn't realize that the band of men wasn't in the tent anymore for such a time as this. A base is a lot easier to hit than a few guys in some bushes. Suddenly, the tent that was thier home became ablaze. Bits of material, paper, and metal flew through the air. Various curses were thrown around as the men realized what had just happened. Rhett no longer was concerned about his bladder.

The next morning, bombers had stopped and the band of men went to survey the damage. Bits of paper from books and letters were strewn all over the desert floor. Rhett was able to find his cot and began to look for the letters he had saved. His already downtrodden spirit was crushed when all he could find was a single, mangled letter from his mother. The small chest containing his clothes and spare uniform was in pieces and now all he had to cover himself were the clothes on his back. He kicked the shredded cloth and revealed something white. Unaware he had put any letters with his clothes, he squinted at the piece of paper. Rhett stooped down to pick it up. It was damp from the water bottle next to his bed that had broken and he realized it was no letter, but a picture. There were words written on the back of it, almost unreadable because of the water. After struggling for a few moments, he was able to decipher the message. 

Hey Rhett! I have no idea when you'll find this, but I hope it comes in handy. I figured I'd put a picture of us last summer folded in your clothes to cheer you up. Look how ugly we both look haha. Hope to see you soon! -Link

Rhett turned over the picture and saw himself and Link, both smiling outside Link's house. Look how happy they were. Rhett found himself swallowing a massive lump in his throat. He hadn't smiled like that for so long, and look at Link. Link. Why he found himself staring at his best friend, he didn't know. He fell to his knees and his eyes began to water. He didn't want to be in The Middle East, he wanted to be home, holding Link. He wanted to see if Link was keeping that ridiculous facial hair, and try to talk him out of it. He wanted to feel that thick black hair through his fingers. He wanted to feel Link's lips on his own. He knew Link used lotion on his lips when no one was looking. He pictured his hands going lower and- What're you doing, McLaughlin? He asked himself as his thoughts became more and more intimate.You're not gay. Rhett looked up and saw his comrades also shuffling through debris. No one was noticing his tears or inner turmoil. You know what? I don't care. No one cares. If I wanna screw Link, I wanna screw Link. I probably won't even ever see him again so what's the use lying to myself? He opened his eyes and looked again at the picture.  
"Thanks Link." He whispered into the Afghani desert, hoping that somehow, his gratitude would make it to the man of his desire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment if you enjoyed! :p


	4. Chapter 4

Link's pov

Link ducked behind a bush, dodging yet another wave of bullets. His commanding officer said that the men were responsible for keeping the civilians in the town two miles away safe. Well, as safe as they could be in this situation. "The last thing us American need," his commanding officer had said "was more people becoming part of the opposing side because of fear." War was a dirty business. People pillaged their own countrymen to instill terror into the hearts and minds of men, women, and children. People were joining the opposing team in droves just to escape the fear that their families would be harmed in an even more radical recruitment plan later down the line. 

"That was close!" Link shouted to another soldier. The other soldier nodded. He knew none of the men with whom he was facing death. He had just been transferred to another battalion... Again. He'd been in the country of Iraq three weeks and he had stayed already with 2 different groups of men; this was his third posting. He couldn't say that he enjoyed being shot at, but he actually didn't mind it. He figured it just hadn't hit him that he could actually die yet. And he was doing important work. Saving innocent lives was always worth some risk, wasn't it? He looked out over a bush and saw a line of Iraqi soldiers staring at him. They were dressed in heavy-looking light brown armor. He ducked back behind the bush and turned around. The bush provided almost no protection, but it was better than just sitting out in the open. He squat with his back to the soldiers, weapon in hand. Link leaned his back against the bristles of the dying plant. He thought of speaking more to the man, but quickly decided against that. This wasn't a good place to meet friends. He hoped none of them would be the next victim of a suicide bombing. He had heard more about those than he would ever care to know. He peeked around the bush again. He didn't see anyone with bombs. Well, can't very well go past this bush with all them soldiers standing there, waiting to shoot.   
"Better get situated, I'm probably gonna be here a while." He mumbled to himself. Just when he began to get comfortable, he heard another gunshot. Link looked around to see if the marksman had hit his target. Link didn't see anyone doubled over. Then he felt it. A sting worse than any bee he'd ever encountered permeated every region in his body, throbbing especially in his lower abdomen. He made a sound that could only be described as half squeak, and half shout. Link quickly focused his attention on the area where most of the pain seemed to be radiating from. A pool of red began to grow on his green uniform. It turned an ugly brown, and his whole torso was going numb fast. His comrade, whom he had just met the day before, looked at him with surprise and fear in his eyes. 

"You've been shot!" He whispered fiercely.

"Gee I hadn't noticed." Link replied sarcastically. This is no time for jokes. He thought. His vision began to be peppered with ever-growing black dots. He knew what was happening, he passed out whenever he saw blood, especially his own. Soon he could see nothing, and his hearing was going fast. "I think I-" The sound of his words were cut off by the thud of his body against the Iraqi dirt. 

 

Rhett's pov 

Rhett's head pound due to yet another rude awakening from an unrestful sleep in the dirt. Somewhere, bombs were exploding in the distance; they weren't near enough for him to worry, but close enough that he was awakened. He sat up with a soft groan and looked around. Art, one of his comrades, was doing the same. They both looked over to the area from which the sound was coming. Rhett saw the other man shake his head and lay back down. Soon the sound of snoring was slowly emanating from his body, adding even more noise to the already cacophonous night. 

"Anyone else awake?" He whispered into the black night. No response. Rhett knew he wasn't going back to sleep any time soon, and the ground was hurting his back. He stood up as quietly as he could and walked for a few minutes away from camp, taking his gun with him for protection against any stray me ever of Afghan forces.  
His note from Link was always tucked securely in his chest pocket. Finally he sat down on a stray piece of wood from the wreckage of their tent and leaned against his gun. Finally the sound of explosions subsided and he was alone with his thoughts and 7 billion mosquitos. "This blows." He thought. "Literally all I want right now is a PB&J to eat with Link. Is that so much to ask? But no. I'm stuck with freaking prison rations and no Link." He stood up and swat a mosquito on his cheek. Pacing around, his thoughts became more and more sporadic. "What's the point of even being over here? It seems like these people wouldn't even mind being taken over. What do I care if some rebel forces want to overthrow the government? It doesn't matter to me. We're probably gonna die anyways. There's no point in even trying anymore. Maybe Link already died. Maybe I'll never see him again. It's not like anyone here cares about me. I don't want to be an engineer like my dad wants. There's nothing left for me there. There's even more of nothing making me stay here. Even if I do make it home, Link's not gonna be there. And if Link's not there, I couldn't come out on my own. How would that look? 'Oh yeah, hey mom. Back from the war. By the way, I'm bisexual at least, maybe gay and the only man I've ever loved is dead.' What if that happens again? It probably wouldn't be a one time experience, there are cute guys all the time. I don't want to live the rest of my life in the closet."  
The thought of that was too much to bear. Tears began cascading down his face like Niagara Falls. He had convinced himself that Link was dead, and his heart beat like a native war drum. His gun seemed so welcoming and available, just a few feet away. He thought of Romeo and Juliet, lovers rejoined by only death.   
"That's it. Rhett thought. If I'm gonna die in this God-forsaken land, I'd rather it be by my own hand than some communist who means nothing to me or anyone else." He walked slowly over to the place where he had been sitting previously and picked up his rifle. "Well." He said aloud, "I guess this is it. It's been a pleasure knowing you, world." He lifted the barrel of the rifle to his chest, hoping his anatomy class had served him well. The metal against his cloth t-shirt was cold and unpleasant, but the emptiness inside had a much greater sting. Rhett aimed for his heart and pulled the trigger. The gunshot was heard by all in camp a few hundred feet away.


	5. Chapter 5

Narrator's pov

"Hey! We need a chopper over here. We got wounded!" A man shouted over the road of gunfire.   
"No, this one's full. You gotta get the next one going to MASH 287." Another man attending to those on the first helicopter screamed back.  
"That's all the way in Afghanistan! I don't think this one will make it that long." The other man shrugged and climbed onto a helicopter, still caring for a man with a severely mangled leg. The helicopter took off without the wounded man, leaving him to wait for the next one like a child at a bus stop before school.   
The second helicopter finally came, and to the surprise of the man with him, the wounded one was still alive, barely. He was loaded onto the helicopter by stretcher, his wound still producing blood, soaking all the gauze that was applied to it. The chopper took off toward the MASH, the wounded man's dark hair blowing in the wind. 

 

Link's pov 

Link woke up and his first thought was his feet. He was cold. It was like being back in the mountains of North Carolina again. Maybe that's where he was. Maybe he just hit his head skiing with Rhett and this whole war was just a dream. However, when he opened his eyes, it was not Rhett he saw. It was not a cabin in the mountains, but a room with many beds and a man on each one. He saw no one he knew, and he couldn't help but feel disappointed. What happened? He asked himself, trying to remember where he was and why he had gotten there. Finally it came back to him that he had been shot and he was probably in a recovery room. He attempted to sit up to ask for another blanket, but was unable to because of a searing pain in his torso. He let out a small yelp and froze. A nurse came over after hearing his cry of pain. 

"How are we doing?" She asked sympathetically.  
"I'm cold," He admitted "and my stomach hurts." The nurse smiled sweetly and said  
"I'll go get you a blanket. There's going to be some pain for a while. You lost a lot of blood after you were shot." She walked away and retrieved a blanket for him, spreading it out over his body. "There you go." She mumbled. 

"Where... What happened?" He croaked finally.  
"You're in a mobile army surgical hospital. You suffered a pretty bad gunshot to the lower abdomen. Took a lot to stop the internal bleeding."   
"I'm... In a MASH?" He chuckled a bit, immediately regretting it. "It doesn't look like the one on the TV show."

"Well a lot has changed since the 50's, hun." The nurse laughed sweetly but before she could say more, somebody shouted for a nurse and she hurried away. Link broke a half smile at how sweet that nurse had been. Before long, he was back asleep under the warmth of the second blanket. 

He was jolted awake when someone bumped into his bed, sending pain shooting out of his stomach  
"AhAhh" he shouted.  
"Sorry!" Was all the response he got. The man who had previously been next to him had either died or moved, Link didn't know. He was being replaced by a much taller man. Link smiled because the man reminded him of Rhett. Imagining Rhett in a tiny bed like his was pretty funny, he had to admit. The man was flopped down onto the mattress and his feet hung over the edge like Link imagined Rhett's would. Link shifted his attention to the doctors who were talking in hushed tones at the foot of the other man's bed.

"So, that was pretty bad. Do we discharge him?"   
"Have to. Even if it was self-inflicted."   
"It was? How do you know?"   
"His commander said they found him alone in the middle of the night a little bit away from the camp with his gun in hand. And the shrapnel was standard American issue."   
"How is he not dead?"   
"Bullet only grazed his heart, too far to the right to do any fatal damage." 

The two men walked away leaving Link with the unconscious one turned away from him. Link looked over at the man for the first time and was shocked to say the least. Was it? He asked himself. He's got the same hair color of Rhett. And he's about Rhett's height. I'd recognize him anywhere, but here? Is Rhett capable of shooting himself in his chest? That wasn't just to be discharged. He would've shot himself in the foot if he just wanted to go home. What was so bad that he wanted to die? Well thank God he didn't. 

"Hey. Rhett? Rhett. Wake up." Link said loudly. No response. "Must be some pretty good stuff they got you on." He mumbled. He decided to wait until his friend was awake. If that was Rhett, he wouldn't be asleep long. He gets too antsy to sleep, especially in a bed that's too small. 

A few hours later, as Link was receiving a cup of water, he heard the larger man next to him stir.   
"Rhett!" He almost shouted, hoping it really was his best friend and blood brother.   
"Link, I'm asleep, don't- LINK!!" The other man whirled around in his bed, letting out a sharp yelp as he did so. "I thought you were dead why-?" Rhett was cut off by a nurse running over and checking on him. 

"Don't move too quickly. You were wounded pretty bad." She looked at him with a stern frown. "You'll tear out your stitches." And with that, she quickly walked away. 

"How did we get in the same MASH?" Rhett asked.  
"You know what, that's a good point, I have no idea. All I remember was I was on the front line, got shot in the stomach, passed out, and ended up here." Rhett made a confused face at his response. "Why'd you do it?" Link whispered, with a serious look of concern in his eyes. Rhett looked down at his chest, all bandaged and stitched where he had placed the barrel of the rifle. He closed his eyes in shame and sighed deeply. 

"How'd you know?" He asked incredulously.   
"Just tell me. I know you shot yourself, doesn't matter how I found out." Link said simply.  
"I- I don't know." Rhett answered. "I thought you were dead, and I couldn't bear life without you. I haven't had to live without you since I was 6 years old. And I don't know, it's this war, man. I've been just completely lacking motivation ever since I got here and I couldn't do it anymore. Even if i did make it home without you, there's nothing for me there anymore. I don't want to be an engineer. You know that. I wanna make a difference. Another faceless engineer can't do that. Link I lo-" Rhett was cut off by a sob, but he soon recovered and looked away; Link pondered what he had just heard after observing that Rhett wasn't going to continue. 

"But. Why did you think I was dead?" He asked finally.  
"I heard something about Iraq guys being killed in droves and I just assumed-" he stopped in the middle of his sentence. 

"I'm here now. I know you're being sent stateside; I heard some doctors talking earlier."Link stopped and sighed deeply. "You broke your promise, ya know?" He reminded his friend.   
"My... Promise?" Rhett questioned. 

"Yeah. Your promise. Right before you left, what did I make you promise?" Rhett looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember that far back. Finally Link finished it for him. "You promised that you wouldn't ever give up. And you did. I almost lost you. That was so SELFISH of you, man!" Link didn't care that people were staring at him because of his escalated voice. He was angry. "Why do you think I made you promise that, huh? How is scrawny, little me supposed to actually do something decent with my life without you? You know better than anyone how much I need you. You're the creative one! I'm nothing without you, NOTHING! You could've made it, even if I HAD died. That was just plain irrational. You didn't know anything for sure, but you were willing to throw away your entire life because of an assumption?!" Link huffed at his monologue and turned his face away, he didn't even want to look at Rhett. "I love you too, you know." He finished, much quieter than his previous words, only loud enough for Rhett to hear.  
"What?!" Rhett almost shouted. 

"You heard me. And not like a brother, either." Link mumbled, still looking away from the blond man in the next bed."   
"Since when?" The tall man whispered, staring intensely at the hair of his friend since his face was not visible.   
"Since always." Link turned slowly and faced his counterpart. "Ok, well, not always. Maybe 2 days after we met. I just never did anything with these feelings because I can't. You know our families would kill us both. I just figured I would be single for my life, probably third wheeling with you and your spouse when you found her. Tell my parents I was celibate cause I wanted to focus on God, something like that. His face hadn't changed at all and he showed no emotion at all. Like he had practiced this conversation a million times, waiting for the day it would come. 

"Why didn't you tell me? I can keep a secret, you know that."   
"I couldn't know for sure you wouldn't abandon me. I'd rather be your friend and that's it than never talk to you again."  
"Now who's the selfish one." Rhett said in a mocking tone. 

"Rhett, I'm talking about a SUICIDE ATTEMPT," The tone with which he spoke those words made Rhett wince at the forcefulness and impact of them. "NOT just keeping my feelings a secret. These are dangerous feelings, Rhett. I can't just go parading them around. And I'm okay with that. You could have died. And left me probably never knowing what happened to you. I'd have spent the rest of my life wondering 'Was he in pain? Was he a hero?' I'd never know. How could you even think of doing such a thing because of an assumption?! 

"Link, nothing I can say can make up for how sorry I am. I swear I thought I would never see you again. Please forgive me. At least I didn't-" another sob kept him from finishing. 

"I have to pee." Link replied. He got up slowly, pain pulsing throughout his torso. He refused to show any of what he was feeling, trying to remain completely neutral in every way. He walked to the bathroom and was thankful he was alone. He slumped down on a toilet and cried. He didn't want anyone to come in and interrupt him ever. What now? Rhett loved him, he loved Rhett; they were both going home, it seemed perfect. Except it couldn't work. Not with thier families and situation. Why couldn't things just work out like they were supposed to? Link had practiced telling Rhett he loved him more times than he could count over the years. He never imagined that it would be after Rhett tried to kill himself in a foreign country. Finally, Link remembered that he told Rhett he went to pee and he had been in there a long time. His luck was running out. Soon, another person would walk in and his solitary state would be interrupted. He quickly wiped his eyes and stood up. He walked over to the sink. He tried to make his face look less red with some water, to no avail. Finally he gave up, returned to his bed, and turned onto his side away from Rhett and toward a man who had a bandage on his forehead. He was sleeping soundly, luckily for Link, and so didn't mind being stared at. He wasn't going to look at Rhett. He wanted to show that he was still angry, even if he was more relieved than anything. 

"Link, please say something. Anything." Rhett pleaded to his best friend's back.   
"I'm-" Link sighed, sat up, and decided to focus his gaze on his knees instead of the blond. He couldn't hide his emotions any more. His words came out smoothly, as if he was telling a story to friends gathered around a meal. "I'm... Not mad at you. I'm so grateful to see you. I just-" he sighed again, searching for his next words "I just can't understand why you were so willing to kill yourself. You are literally amazing. I could never hope to be half the man you are. I faint when I see blood. I can't eat a tomato or an olive without squealing like a little girl. You're smart, athletic, strong... handsome. I should mean nothing to you, but yet you tried to kill yourself because you thought I was gone. I'm confused, and hurt. The man of my dreams loves me-" Link looked at Rhett and half smiled. "'I Lo-' wasn't very hard to figure out." He looked back down at his own bed. "As I was saying, the man of my dreams loves me, and I think we're both going home soon. Then we get college free since we served in the military. Those all seem like great things. And I'm happy, I am. But I know you don't want to be an engineer. I don't either, to be honest, but I think it'll be okay. We can make a difference. We're gonna do something big. Like the blood oath says. Something big. But I can't do that on my own. I need to you do one thing, Rhett." Link looked his friend dead in the eyes "I need you to promise me something. Promise me that you'll never do that again. Are you depressed? Do we need to take you to see someone? What do you need from me so that I can keep you? As much as you can't live without me, I can't live without you." 

"All I need is you, Link. If I have that, I can deal with the other stuff." Link blinked a few times and nodded.   
"Good." He laid back down and stared up at the ceiling. A feeling of relief and anticipation flooded through his body. Silent tears escaped his eyes, but his face remained purely unemotional. Before long, all the commotion of the day made Link tired enough to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6  
Narrator's viewpoint (the rest of the story) 

Link stuffed his neatly folded green uniform shirt into the similarly colored duffel bag. He was wearing his "civilian clothes" for the long flight home. The army had decided that his injury was bad enough that he should recuperate in the safety of the States. He was taking almost nothing with him and it surprised him, despite having taken almost nothing with him to Iran. Rhett was doing similarly, but skipping the middle step of folding his clothes before packing them. Finally each man had placed all the belongings he possessed into the bag and walked out of the recovery room together toward the small airplane. Rhett looked toward the rear of the plane where he saw two wooden caskets being loaded into the place where the cargo hold would normally be. That could've been me. How was I so stupid? He thought. He closed his eyes, shook his head, and tried to rid his mind of the thought. 

"Hey, wanna sit by the window?" Link asked as he was climbing the narrow steps.  
"Nah, it's okay, you can have the window seat." Rhett replied, still trying to clear his head of the vision he had just seen of the two men who were not as fortunate as he and Link. To say he was grateful that Link had been shot only where he had would be the understatement of the century. That the only lasting repercussions from this would most likely be almost a matching scar to his own was beyond anything that Rhett could put into words. 

Rhett continued to follow his friend into the plane and watched as he sat in the overstuffed blue plane seat. There were 7 other men who also occupied the airplane, none of whom Rhett had seen before. They were similarly bandaged, some with slings on their arms, some with missing limbs. Out of the lot of men going home, Rhett considered himself and Link lucky. He sat down in the chair next to the dark haired man and groaned. He still couldn't sit down, or move really, without pain radiating from his chest. Judging from the face of his best friend, Link was in the same boat. They sat in silence, waiting for the plane take to off and then watching the dry barren wasteland get smaller and smaller. 

"So, what do you think we're gonna do for college?" Rhett asked after being in the air for about 15 minutes. He turned to look at his companion and smiled. Link's mouth was open, his head titled slightly to the left. He was snoring quietly. "I have no idea how you fall asleep so quickly, brother." Rhett mumbled. He decided to observe the interior of the plane rather than twiddle his thumbs. He thought he wasn't going to fall asleep, but soon drifted off as well. 

'Maybe the war made me more exhausted than I thought.' Was his last thought before waking up because of Link shifting his position. Rhett opened his eyes to see a head of dark brown hair gently resting on his shoulder. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers through the sleeping boy's hair. Rhett looked around to make sure no one was watching too intently; only one other man was even awake, and he looked pretty focused on a book he was reading. The tall man let his hand gently caress Link's face and fall onto his own lap. He kissed the crown of the man's head gingerly, letting his lips linger for no more than a second. He smelled the harsh scent of standard army shampoo and the salty scent of Link under it all. He has never known anything so pleasant as such a simple thing. He twirled his fingers around in the smaller man's hair, careful so as not to wake him. 

Link suddenly groaned and Rhett quickly withdrew his hand, Link's head continuing to rest on his shoulder. Link put a hand over his stomach and winced, still very much asleep. Soon, his face relaxed and he went back to a peaceful snore once again.  
"I promise you Link," Rhett whispered "I won't let anything or anyone hurt you like this when we get home ever again. And I'll keep my promise this time." He rested his own head smoothly on Link's and soon after was fast asleep. 

"Excuse me, gentlemen. We've landed at the Atlanta airport." A man said. Link jumped awake, unaware that he had been resting his head on Rhett's shoulder. By the looks of him, Link assumed he was the pilot.

"Uh yes, thanks." Link replied. He stood up quickly and almost hit his head on the ceiling of the small plane. He grabbed his gut in pain. "How many times am I gonna make sudden movements before I stop doing that." He mumbled. Rhett was still very drowsy and so was wakened, but wasn't mentally there. He stood up when he saw his friend grab his duffel from the overhead compartment. "Oh hey Rhett be car-"  
"Ow!" Rhett banged his head on the low ceiling on the way up.  
"...ful. The ceiling's low, remember?"  
"Yeah. Thanks." He rubbed the part of his head that had taken the brunt of the impact. "Do you have all our papers or...?" Rhett didn't finish his thought. In response, Link waved a stack of papers that contained everything from passports to discharge notifications. 

"Obviously. Come on, brother, let's go! I can't wait to see my mom again!" Rhett chuckled at his friend's exuberance.  
"All right, all right. I'm coming." They walked through the massive Atlanta airport trying to find their way to Gate 29. Link had sent his mom a letter notifying her of what was happening. She would pick them up there and drive them back to Buies Creek.  
Rhett was moving at less than his usual long stride, but Link was falling behind. "Hey, Link? You okay, man?"  
"Yeah, yeah. Fine. Just kinda hurts." He patted his stomach very gently. "Can we walk a little slower?"  
"Totally." Rhett walked back and grabbed Link's bag. His chest ached from the extra weight, but it was tolerable. 

With two duffel bags thrown over his left shoulder, he confidently slowed down and took Link's hand. They walked slowly for a few eternally long seconds holding hands.  
"Rhett what are you doing?" Link hissed, pure shock dancing across his visage.  
"I'm holding your hand. You're injured, I'm injured, it's for mutual support." Rhett smirked and Link couldn't help but do the same. He straightened up and walked proudly through the airport. However, Link pulled his hand away as they were approaching gate 30. He dropped it at his side and looked away from Rhett.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not ready yet for my mom to see... Us." Link mumbled. Rhett stopped and grabbed Link's hand. He looked into the beautiful blue eyes he had always remembered, but never fully noticed.  
"Is there an us?" Rhett inquired, raising his eyebrows.  
"I... I want there to be. But we can't go blabbing about this. Not yet at least. We just got back, Rhett. I wanna go see my mom and have her love and take care of me, for at least a while. She'll never look at me the same again if we tell her." 

Link stepped closer to Rhett, still holding Rhett's fingers. "We will get there eventually. But not right now." He felt Rhett's hot breath in his forehead and stood on his tiptoes. He pecked the tall man on the lips very quickly and turned away. "Now let's go find my mother." Link grabbed his own bag, winced slightly, and took off, leaving the blond stunned on the moving sidewalk. 

Rhett put a hand to his lips, wondering if he had just imagined that whole ordeal. Nope. He finally decided. That was real.  
"Hey Link, wait up!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please leave a comment telling me what you thought. And have a very mythical day! :)


	7. Chapter 7

"So honey, what was the weather like over there? Was it as hot as they make it sound?" Diane McLaughlin asked, her thick southern accent spilling over into her words. Rhett leaned back into the overstuffed leather couch which groaned in response to his movements.   
"All I'm gonna say is that I'm thankful for this air conditioning." He looked around at the living room of his home. It looked so big compared to what he had been used to. "The weather really wasn't that bad, once you got used to it." He finally finished. 

"Well we are thankful to have you home." His dad spoke up from his seat in the recliner near the far wall. "And you're lucky to only have been hit where you were. Do the doctors think there's gonna be any lasting damage?" He asked.  
Rhett looked at his mother, sitting on the same sofa on which he was. She had a look of concern and worry all over her face with a hint of rage hidden behind her blue eyes.   
"They think I'm gonna be fine. Nice scar though." He gingerly rubbed at his chest where the bandage was still firmly secured under his shirt. 

"If I ever get ahold of the man who did this to my boy..." Diane shook her head and suddenly rose to her feet. She picked up the three glasses of what had been iced tea, but now only contained cubes of ice and shuffled off the kitchen, obviously flustered and very upset. 

Rhett looked down at the carpet. 'It was selfish.' He thought. 'Link was right. Again.' The look of regret on his face must've been more obvious than he had anticipated because his dad commented,  
"Don't feel bad. She's been like that ever since we got the letter." He sighed and looked at his son with gratefulness and relief. "When that man showed up at our door, she didn't even open the letter, she made me do it." He chuckled one joyless laugh. "She was making supper and the doorbell rang. When she saw the man in uniform... I'll never forget it, son. Your mother made this horrible sound. Naturally, I came to see what was the matter. She had just closed the door and I saw the man through the window, heading toward his car, looking down. She was holding an envelope, sorta like the one you got when you were drafted. 'I can't do it. You open it.' She had told me. I was just as worried as she was, maybe more, but I was strong for her, you understand." Rhett nodded and took his eyes off his father for a second. "I read it out loud to her. It said that you were wounded in action. That's it. We didn't find out you were even alive until a week and a half later. Your mother, well, she was a basket case. Never did finish supper. S'okay I suppose; neither of us wanted to eat anything..." He paused and swallowed hard. "We're just... We're glad to have you home in one piece, son." 

"I'm glad to be home, dad." Rhett said, very truthfully. "I'll go see if mom needs any help in the kitchen." He got up, letting out a very quiet cry of pain as he did so from the sudden movement. The tall man walked slowly into the kitchen, careful with his movements so as not to invoke any more discomfort.

"Hey, mom. Need any help?" Rhett asked once within earshot of the woman in the kitchen. She sniffled and turned around, putting on a very fake smile to appease her son. "No, thank you, sweetie." She padded over toward her son and embraced him in a tight hug, causing him to yelp in pain. "Oh! I'm so sorry, honey. What can I do? I-"   
"Mom." Rhett interrupted. "It's okay. I'm fine. How about you? Are you okay?" She nodded slowly.   
"Yes. I will be. Once you're all healed, son. Imagine that. You're the one with a bullet hole in his chest askin' me if I'm alright." Rhett smiled sadly and wiped a tear from his mother's cheek. 

"I'm fine, mom. Don't worry about me." They stood in silence for a moment before Rhett made a suggestion. "You know what? I'm really hungry for those chocolate chip cookies of yours. Do you still keep the dough in the freezer?" She chuckled once.   
"What kind of question is that?" She said sweetly. "Always." 

"Well I haven't had a hot shower in months. Will you pop some cookies in the oven while I go do that?"   
"Of course. No problem." Rhett smiled and nodded. He wanted to run into the shower he had been anxiously awaiting for so long, but took it slowly. Before too long, the smell of fresh-baked cookies prompted him to come out of the shower. He ate the delicious cookies and was caught up on all the births, deaths, and marriages he had missed in Buies Creek while he had been gone. The rest of the afternoon turned out to be very pleasant for everyone. He wanted to go to bed somewhere near the hour of three PM, which was about the hour his body had become accustomed to because of the time differences. His parents mercifully understood, for which Rhett was exceedingly grateful.

That night as he lay in a bed that seemed much too soft, he recounted the events of the day. 'It's hard to believe that just this morning I was in Afghanistan.' He thought. Though thier flight was more than ten hours, they arrived in Atlanta in the morning because Afghanistan was ahead in time. Then Link had kissed him! That was still hard to believe for Rhett. They had both been in Sue (Link's mom's) car for hours on thier way home. Thier meeting with her had been filled with very gentle hugs and lots of tears. Link had answered most of her questions on the way home, partly because they were directed at mainly Link, but he also loved talking, especially to his mom. Then Sue had dropped Rhett at his house and taken Link presumably home. Then he spent a few hours talking to his own parents, and now he was here. 'Today was a good day.' Rhett thought. It had become a longstanding habit of his to rate the days as he was going to bed. He always just figured it gave him closure and that way he could remember the day better. Rhett smiled to himself as he drifted off, his last thoughts on his best friend. 

 

Rhett awoke somewhere around 1 AM, unable to sleep any more. He got up and found a few video games he hadn't played since his deployment in June. He popped one into the console and plugged in the correct cables. After a few minutes of frustration, he stopped playing. 'Man I suck.' He finally conceded. 'Real combat is nothing like this.' Rhett decided to give up all together and rummage the fridge. As he was doing so, the phone rang, and he rushed to grab it before it woke his parents. 

"Hello?" He tried to speak quietly enough not to wake his sleeping parents, but loud enough for the person on the other end to hear.  
"Ha! I knew you'd be up. Still on Afgan time too, eh?" Came a very familiar voice through the receiver.  
"Link? What are you doing?" Rhett whispered.  
"Aw, I'm bored Rhett, let's do somethin'. You know neither of our parents won't be up for at least 4 more hours."

"What do you want to do? It's 1:30 in the morning, brother. Nothing's open."   
"Well then I guess we just gotta make our own fun. Wanna go swim in the river?"   
"Link, it's January. And with the weather we're used to, we'd probably freeze to death. And, we're not allowed to swim for another two months, remember?"   
"Right." Link said shortly. "Well then, let's just hang out somewhere. Meet me at our normal spot. 30 minutes."   
"Link, what-"   
The phone clicked on the other end, signaling that Link had hung up. 'Well, nothin' better to do, I guess.' Rhett thought as he walked back to his room. He was going in jeans and his pajama shirt, he decided. He tried to open the door as quietly as possible, not forgetting his watch to keep track of time. Soon, he was clunking down the road in his mom's old gremlin. 

Their usual spot was a place with two rocks near the cape fear River. After they had taken the blood oath, they would meet in the place where they had vowed in secret. Most times they would just talk about teachers they hated, or complained about homework, or discussed girls. It just now occurred to Rhett that Link may have been faking the entire time. If Link really had been in love with him since elementary school, he probably was just keeping up appearances. 'That's dedication.' Thought Rhett as he pulled over beside the road near the woods that lead to the secret location. Link was already there, sitting on one of the rocks, looking at the river. The Rock was covered in moss and the trees had a very pungent scent, following either a rainfall or an evening dew. Rhett took in every sight, noticing how grateful he had become for such simple things. He began to walk over to Link when a twig under his foot announced his presence.

"You got here fast!" Link exclaimed. "I was expecting to be waiting another ten minutes." He stood up and half ran, half hobbled over to Rhett and threw his arms around the taller man's shoulders. Rhett instinctively put his hands on Link's waist, bringing them together like a pair of dancers. Link had moved up to about three inches from Rhett they couldn't help but stare into each other's eyes. 

"Woah, Link!" Rhett cautioned. "Careful, you'll rip your stitches out. Or mine."   
"We're alone in the moonlight by the river. No one's around, and your eyes in the moonlight, MMAN!"   
The blond blushed at his friend's compliment. "You and me, we were meant for each other, man!" Link whispered in a sing-song tone. "Just look around you. We've come here so many times, and never knew about this. Us, Rhett. Look at us. Secret meetings in the middle of the night, holding each other in this embrace. Like Romeo and Juliet." Rhett took his eyes off his counterpart's. 

"Yeah... Just like somethin' outta Shakespeare." Rhett mumbled, remembering that night only a few short weeks ago. Funny how they both thought of the same story, but very different outcomes of it. Link didn't seem to notice because he kept going.

"And, I can do this." Link began to rise to his toes to meet the taller boy, but Rhett bent down to meet him as well. Their lips locked in a warm kiss, and two heartbeats drummed faster and faster in the dead of night. Link's lips were sweet and his scent salty. Rhett felt a hand come up to his cheek, and he did the same to Link. The brunette had slight stubble growing on the sides of his cheeks, but his lips were as soft as Rhett had imagined them to be so many times while he was trapped in camp. Soft moans began emitting from both men as the kiss deepened. At long last, Rhett pulled away to catch some air. Link did the same. 

"Wow." Was all Rhett could say, completely dumbfounded at his rush of adrenaline and desire. They looked at each other in silence for a few moments before Rhett walked over to the other large rock and sat down. "So... Is this going to become a regular thing? Us meeting like this under the cover of night?" Link followed him and stood beside his best friend, leaning on his seat.

"I- I don't know. I'd like it to be. I mean, us... Being together. And this seems like a safe way to do it."   
"I get what you're saying. Really, I do." Rhett paused, searching for his next words. "I love you Link. I want to shout it from the rooftops, I want to be yours and you to be mine." Even with the darkness, Rhett could see a look of almost anger from Link.

"You don't think I want to? Rhett, I've had to lie to everyone around me, even myself at times, to say I like girls. I just don't. Please, Rhett. I've been in this closet for so long, I'm gonna need time to even find the door. Are you ready to come out? Can you look me straight in the eyes and tell me that you are ready to tell your folks we're together? I love you too. But let's take this slow." Rhett saw the pleading in his best friend's eyes, and conceded that he was right.

"You're right. I'm not ready to do that yet. Whatever you need, Link. I'm here for you. Always." Link smiled and climbed gently onto Rhett's lap. Link ran his hands through the blond's hair with an amazing care and love. They kissed once more, but this time it was much different. It was gentle and understanding. The babbling river was the only sound, and the two war vets were okay with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment! Sorry I'm so late on the update; life has been crazy lately.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave a comment! Im really sorry about the horrendous layout; I couldn't get indents to work to separate paragraphs and spacing won't stick either. The Final chapter should be up sometime soon.

Rhett finally looked at his watch after they had spent the time kissing, talking, and kissing some more. 3:43.  
"Better head back." He sighed reluctantly. "My dad could up in less than an hour if he's feeling restless. I'd rather him not see me and mom's car gone." Link nodded in agreement.  
"Yeah, I took my mom's car too. Hers was behind mine and I didn't feel like juggling cars at 1 in the morning." He admitted. They walked hand in hand until they got to where Sue's gremlin had been parked. The sun was just coming up, and Rhett's hair sparkled in the dim light. The taller man opened his car door, but didn't get in before saying,  
"Oh! Hey Link, we gotta figure out some better way to communicate. Calling my house in the middle of the night won't work for Long."  
"Yeah. We'll figure something out later." Link nodded and smiled. "Later cutie." He called over his shoulder as he scampered off to his own car. Rhett chuckled.  
"Later, babe." He mumbled, knowing full well Link couldn't hear him. The blond drove home with the car radio barely on, his mind filled with images of the night.  
Rhett pulled into the driveway of his house as quietly as he could manage, willing the gremlin wouldn't backfire. It was just after 4 AM, and he hoped that his father hadn't awoken early. Rhett tiptoed into his house, trying to make the door squeak as little as possible. A quick look around revealed that no one was awake. A gurgling from Rhett's stomach reminded him that he still hadn't eaten. As he was making himself a giant portion of his specialty snack, his father strolled into the kitchen. Rhett had just finished spreading out a healthy amount of cheddar cheese onto his crackers when his dad startled him.  
"Morning, son." He said, rather loudly. Rhett jumped at the sudden noise. He hadn't heard his father's slippers against the kitchen floor.  
"Woah!" Rhett exclaimed, spinning quickly toward the noise. "Ahh!" He held his chest in his hand, his wound pulsing with pain.  
"Sorry. Didn't mean ta scare you like that. How long you been up?"  
"S'okay. For a while; I guess my body's still not used to this time zone."  
"Yeah, I thought I heard something in the wee hours this mornin'. Must've been you gettin' up." Rhett studied his father's face for clues to if he knew his son had sneaked out. He didn't seem to.  
"Yeah, it was probably me. I was playing some video games to pass the time."  
"Well, if you'd like, I'm up early enough, I could make you some real breakfast and not cheese on crackers." His dad offered. Rhett responded by hastily putting the cheese back in the package and doing the same with the crackers. The man chuckled; "I'll take that as a yes." Soon the kitchen was filled with the delicious aromas of bacon, eggs, and slightly burnt toast. To the man used to military food, it was a feast fit for a king. Rhett continued eating long after his dad had left the table and began reading the newspaper in his recliner as was his morning tradition. 'Today's had the best start I think of any day I've ever had.' Thought Rhett as he was shoveling forkful after forkful of eggs into his mouth. Rhett enjoyed taking his time at meals. There was no agenda for the day and he savored the thought of choosing his activity. The phone rang, and Rhett's father picked it up with a, "If these telemarketers from like India keep calling before 8, I swear I'm gonna- Hello? McLaughlin residence. Oh, Link! How are you?... Good, good.... Oh yeah me too...." He chuckled a few times before asking, "well, he's right here, do you want to talk to 'im?.....Okay.... Yeah.... Buh bye. He took the reciever off his ear and handed it to his son, mouthing the word "Link." Rhett mouthed back "yeah, thanks." He gulped down some orange juice to get the remnant of food out of his mouth before speaking.  
"Hey, what's up?.... Sounds like a great idea..... Sure, what time?....... Ok see ya there..... Oh yeah, no uh, we're good...... Yeah, right!.... Bye."  
"So what did he want this early?" His dad asked, peeping around the corner.  
"Oh uh, turns out he couldn't sleep either. He wanted to know if I wanted to see a movie with him later." Rhett's dad nodded, rather suspiciously, Rhett thought.  
"What was that last part? You two keepin' secrets again? You'd say 'we're good' on the telephone when talking to Link when you two were kids and you told your mother you had done your homework so you could go over to his house and she believed you." The older man squinted at his son, peering over his glasses.  
"No! Uh, he asked if you- uh, if I had other plans. Since I'm home, ya know. I told him 'we're good' as in like 'good to go.'" None of the suspicion lifted off his father's face, but he must've decided it was a moot point. What could they be keeping from him anyway? They just got back.  
"Alright... Well, I'm off to work." He grabbed his coat and draped it over his arm, not forgetting his briefcase on his way out the door. "Have fun at your movie." He closed the door behind him and Rhett heaved a giant sigh. 'That was close.' He thought. 'We're gonna have to come up with new code terms.'  
After he finished eating, Rhett slumped down on the couch, his long legs sprawling over the edge of the leather cushion. He pointed the remote at the thick television set and turned it on. It was early enough that no real programs were on, so he decided to watch an infomercial about some fancy new cheese grater. Rhett thought it looked jut like the one his mom has had since 1974, but oh well, there was nothing else to do. Before he saw the final price, Rhett's head had leaned back toward the ceiling and he was completely out.  
It was around 8:00 when his mom finally got up; Rhett still was asleep on the couch. A squeaky board under his mother's foot woke him and he instinctively scrambled for his weapon, slightly panicked when there wasn't one around.  
"AAH! Where's my gun? where's my gun?!" Rhett screamed, unaware of where he was at the moment.  
"Rhett! Rhett! You're at home, you're okay! Sorry! It was just the floor!" His mother tried to reassure him. Rhett heaved a breath of relief and sank back into the couch. Even though his heart was beating out of his chest, he felt better due his mother's words.  
"Sorry. I guess waking up too many times in a war zone makes you a little on edge." His mother nodded, her face riddled with worry and sorrow. "Don't worry. I'll get over it..." He said. "Maybe." He finished in a mumble. His eyes darted around the room, looking at anything other than his mother. "Oh!" He said rather loudly, causing his mom to jump. "Sorry. I just remembered that I'm seeing a movie with Link at like noon, so I won't be here. I told him you didn't want to do anything besides those cupcakes. Is that right?"  
"Yes that's fine, dear. I'm sure the two of you have a lot to talk about." Rhett chuckled a little and nodded.  
"You could say that." 

The time before he left passed slowly and seemed to drag. He told his mother a few stories of war to pass the time, but was more than happy to see Link's truck in the driveway early in the afternoon. After kissing his mom on the cheek and wishing her goodbye, he bounded into the passenger seat. He had to scoot his seat back as far as it could go in order to give his legs some room to breathe.  
"Haha sorry man. I guess my mom and Lewis were driving this while we were gone. They're a little bit shorter than you." Rhett just nodded. He was very used to adjusting seats in order to compensate for his lanky limbs. "So I figured we could see the movie then go out for ice cream. Did you bring any money?" Rhett narrowed his eyes in sarcasm and pulled out his wallet from his back pocket.  
"No. I'm completely broke." He said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. Link laughed while shifting the truck into reverse.  
"Hey, just makin sure. I'm not payin' for ya." On the way, Rhett told the brunette about his father's suspicion and they came up with a new set of code words. 

The movie plot was good enough, but choosing a film that didn't depict a violent death would've been a much better choice. But before either of them could really analyze it too much, they were at a local ice cream shop. Link ordered a double scoop of chocolate and Rhett a single strawberry scoop. They chose to refrain from eating it until they were out a few minutes and off the road. Link backed up a little bit into a forest, so they were away from any wandering eyes of travelers, but close enough that they could easily get back. Rhett opened the back of Link's truck bed and spread a blanket out over the black plastic. Link's truck had perfectly backed up to a tiny brook, so there was little movement and noise in the dense forest. The tall man climbed up into the seat and sat down, looking at the babbling water. The brunette rounded the corner of the bed, holding two ice cream cones. He hopped up and sat in the open bed, handing an already melting ice cream cone to Rhett. They both quickly licked a few drops threatening to drip before it dropped on their hands. Rhett put his lanky arm around his companion and let his hand fall onto Link's chest. For some time they ate the ice cream in silence, content by simply being in each other's company.  
Link suddenly got an idea. He swiped his finger over the top of his ice cream, and decided he would boop Rhett on the nose. Rhett's eyes widened in surprise when he realized there was a giant brown glob of chocolate ice cream sitting in front of his eyes on the crown of his nose.  
"Oh i see how it is." Rhett said playfully. He stuck his finger directly into the middle of the cold treat, resulting in a large dollop of strawberry cream on his finger. Rhett smiled a big, toothy smile as he smeared the pink substance on his best friend's cheek. Link opened his mouth in mock offense.  
"Well then!" He smiled and stretched up toward Rhett's face and kissed him quickly. Wiping the ice cream off his face, he hopped down from the truck and deposited the sticky mess from his fingers onto his pant leg. "We should probably head back now." He said slowly and sadly.  
"You're probably right." Rhett nodded and stood up. "I promised my mom I'd help her make cupcakes for the church bake sale Tuesday. Both men meandered to the cab of the truck, Rhett closing the tailgate on his way.  
While they Link was driving, they discussed the movie and it's varying degrees of plot holes. They finished the ice cream cones, being careful not to drip any inside the car. Before long, the truck sat running in Rhett's driveway.  
"Well, thanks for the date, baby. We should do this again sometime. Next time, you should be a gentleman and pay for it though." Rhett said with a wink.  
"Anytime, darlin.' But hey, maybe I will. Guess we'll have to go out again. Dinner this time. Saturday. Louise's. Don't be late." was Link's quick reply. He waved as Rhett bounded up the front stairs of his home and closed the door behind him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, i'm terribly sorry for the lack of indentation and paragraph spacing. ive uploaded it on multiple computers multiple times, to no avail. :/

"Link! Dinner's ready!" Rang the voice of Sue Neal through the small, two bedroom home.  
"Coming, mom!" The young veteran shouted back. Rhett was coming over for supper and Link couldn't wait to see him.  
"I reckon Rhett'll be over soon, so in the meantime, why don't you talk to me? It's been almost three months since you've been back, and I feel like we never get to talk like we used ta'. I thought invitin' Rhett over would actually get ya' to be near me, since you're always around him." She laughed as she set a basket of freshly made cornbread on the table. "Then again, the two of you always have been inseparable." Nostalgia seemed to creep into her eyes as she continued. "Ever since that day back in, what, '83, '84? Anyways, you two have never gone without seeing each other for more than two weeks. Well, until ya both got drafted, that is." She looked at her son's torso. Though he was wearing a shirt, Link felt very self-conscious of his scar. The silence between them was growing louder, the awkwardness level rising quickly. A knock at the door saved Link from having to endure more of the silence. He jumped up and walked quickly to the door, letting his best friend know he was welcome in their home.  
"Hey, baby." Rhett whispered on his way past Link. "Thanks so much for inviting me over, Sue! It smells wonderful."  
The woman laughed and gave Rhett her greetings as well. All three of them sat down at the small oak table laden with a large pot of chili, cornbread, and collard greens. They talked mainly trivial things while eating. Rhett had gotten a job at Bojangles for the spring and summer months to save up a little spending cash for college, and to get him out of the house. Link was volunteering at a local animal shelter. They told stories of rude customers and ornery puppies, and listened to tales of Sue's workplace.  
After supper was completed, the three moved into the small, but elegant, living room. Rhett and Link sat rather closely on the couch, and Sue opposite them on an old loveseat.  
"Oh, it's just so good to spend an evening together, son. Rhett, you should let him come home sometimes. I miss him!" Sue said sweetly. Rhett laughed quietly to see if she was joking or not. When she chuckled back, they both were slightly relieved. Then, turning her face to Link, You had better invite your mother over after you get married."  
"Yeah, mom, about that." Link looked up at Rhett. "Was now the time?" He thought to himself, "Well, now's a good a time as any." He concluded. Link reached toward Rhett's hand and interlocked thier fingers. Rhett looked down at Link with a panicked 'Are we really gonna do this?' Look. Link simply locked eyes with him for a second and nodded. Both men felt their heart beats pick up speed. "We..." Link began to say, "We're together, mom. I'm gay." Link involuntarily winced, anticipating his mother's reaction. "The moment of truth." He thought. However, to the surprise of the couple on the couch, Sue remained completely emotionless for a few seconds. Then she began to laugh. She laughed in the most authentic, ugly way a human possibly could laugh.  
"You...." She struggled to say her words through the laughter "you both look so scared! If i had my camera right now!..... You outta see the looks on your faces!" Link looked up at Rhett with wide eyes, as if asking if his partner knew what was going on. Apparently he didn't because he shot a similar look towards Link with a shrug.  
"Mom." Link said, obviously on the brink of tears. "Mom, did you hear what I said? I'm gay." His mother tried to stop laughing, and after a time it worked.  
"Well no, duh, darlin'! RHETT! Have you told your mama yet?" Rhett shook his head no, a stunned look still on his face. "Haha! I knew it! That Diane McLaughlin owes me ten dollars."  
"You... You knew? But... h-how?" Link asked incredulously.  
"Sweetie, I am your mother. Your face lights up around that boy. Don't pretend like you don't look at him like he's the world to you."  
At this point, Rhett piped in. "Hey, whaddya mean my mom owes you ten dollars? She in on this too?"  
"I tried to tell 'er." The woman chuckled a few more times. "I told her you'd come out to me first! We've had that bet since you boys were ten years old."  
"But..." Rhett protested "I've only liked Link that way for like, six months!"  
"Rhett, honey." She leaned back in her chair, raised one eyebrow, and propped her arms up on one armrest. "Lyin' is a sin." When she saw the boys' furrowed brows and confused visages, Sue decided to explain. "When you first told me about a boy you met at school, I knew. I had never seen anyone so excited about anythin'." She turned to Rhett, still holding hands with her son. "Rhett, do you remember your 10th birthday party?"  
"Uh, I know I had one. Other than that, not much."  
"Link worked doing odd jobs around the house for two months before your party because he wanted to buy your present himself. I don't remember what it was, but I know he was so excited to give it to you. The time came for you to open his present, and you acted like it was the greatest gift you've ever received. Your mama was standin' next to me later though, and she told me you'd gotten the same exact gift from your grandmother in the mail a few days ago, but it was important to you to make Link feel appreciated. It was at that point we made that bet. Mothers know their children. Oh, and Link, next time you sneak out in the middle of the night, take your own car." Link felt his cheeks blush and he looked down. Sue stood up and put her arms around the boys. "This changes nothing. You still better invite your mother over when you're married." She straightened up and looked at the blonde again. "You better keep an eye on my boy." Tears filled her eyes as she concluded her speech. "All those years of waitin'. You guys are gonna be great. If you boys choose to adopt, promise me you'll stay in North Carolina, and bring 'em to see grandma often. At this point, Link began to cry with relief and gratefulness. As Link embraced his mother, Rhett truly began to appreciate the life he had been given.  
"I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm glad I get to choose you for a family."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the story! Please leave a comment, and have a mythical day!


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